Trace-eye guard.



L. G. JOHNS. TRACE EYE GUARD. APPLICATION F ILED MAR.30, 1908.

900,2 A Patented 0012.6,1908.

UNITED sTA E-srATE-T OFFICE.

LEWIS G. JOHNS, OF DENVER, INDIANA, ASSIGNOR OF ONE-HALF TO MADISON E. SLOPPY,

OF DENVER, INDIANA.

TRACE-EYE GUARD.

Specificationof Letters Patent.

Patented Oct. 6, 1908.

To all whom it may concern."

Be it known that I, LEWIS G. JoHNs, a citizen of the United States, residing at Denver, county of Miama, and State of Indiana, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Trace .-Eye Guards, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to trace eye guards and the object of my invention is to provide an eye guard which will materially increase the durability of the trace at the point where it receives the full draft strain.

A further object of my invention is to provide a trace eye guard which may be readily applied to any trace and secured thereto without the necessity of upsetting or clenching the device to the leather.

A further object of my invention is to provide a device as mentioned, equipped with means for preventing the whifiletree end irons from wearing the portion of the device by which it is secured to the trace.

Other objects will appear hereinafter.

With these objects in view myinvention consists generally in a U shaped metal strip adapted to be inserted in the eye of a trace and to line therear edge or wall thereof and provided with a pair of ears or lugs at each end to engage the innerand outer faces of the trace and an ear extending rearwardly from the center of the outer edge of said member by which it is riveted or otherwise secured to the trace, and a smaller U shaped member adapted to fit snugly within the former and having a prong extending through an aperture in the rear curved wall of the larger U shaped member and between the layers of leather of which the trace is formed, one edge of the smaller member extending above or beyond the outer edge of the former to protect the device by which it is secured to the trace.

My invention further consists in various 7 2 is a section on the line m-m of Fig. 1, and Figs. 3 and 1 are perspective views of the two members of which the guard is composed.

Referring to the drawings 1 indicates a trace the rear end of which, is formed of the inner and outer layers 2 and 3 stitched together in the usual manner, and 1 indicates the eye of the trace.

The trace guard comprises a U shaped member 5 which is preferably formed of a strip of spring steel of substantially the width of the thickness of the trace. Each of the forward ends 6 of the member 5 are provided with a pair'of lugs 77 which bear against the inner and outer faces of the trace and assist in holding the guard in position. The outer edge of the member 5 is also provided with an ear or lug 8 which extends rearwardly from the center of the edge and is provided with a hole or aperture 9 by which the member 5 is secured to the trace by sewing or preferably by a rivet 10.

Fitting snugly within the member 5 is a smaller U shaped member 11 having an ear or lug 12 extending rearwardly from the center of the curved portion 13. After the member 5 is in position, the member 11 is inserted, the lug 12 passing through an aperture 14 in the center of the member 5 beneath the lug 8 and extending between the layers 2 and 3 of the trace. The member 5 is of substantially equal width throughout, whereas the member 11 tapers from the ends 15 to the center 13 where it is the broadest. The upper edge 16 of the member 11, at its end is substantially flush with the outer edge 17 of the member 5, but as it approaches the center, that is adjacent to the lug 8, it extends beyond the edge 17 and forms a guard to prevent the end irons of the whiflletree from wearing against the fastening 10.

The device is made complete and may be.

secured within any trace eye by almost anyone and does not require any special tools for attachingit as there are no parts to be upset or clenched to the trace: and it is obvious that the device may be removed and placed upon other traces or in other eyes with but little trouble.

Having described my invention what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is: a

1. A trace eye guard comprising a pair of U-shaped members fitted one within the other and means for securing the same within the eye of a trace, substantially as described.

2. A trace eye guard comprising a U-shaped member and means for securing the same in the eye of the trace in combination with a second U-shaped member arranged within the first and having its outer edge extending beyond the outer edge of the former, substantially as described.

In a device of the class described a Ushaped member and means for securing the same in the eye of a trace, in combination with a second U-shaped member arranged within the first and having a rearwardly extending tongue, the first U-shaped member being apertured to receive said tongue, substantially as described.

4. In a device of the class described, a

U-shaped member adapted to be arariged in the rear end of a. trace eye and having a. pair of lugs at each end to engage the outer and inner faces of the trace, and a lug extending rearwardly from the center of one edge thereof, fastening means adapted to extend through said lug and the trace, a second U- shaped member arranged within the former and having one edge extending outwardly beyond said lug and said fastening means substantially as described.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

LEWIS Gr. JOHNS.

IVitnesses IV. A. Pmnmrs, I F. TIIARI. 

